STORM
~The devil whispered in my ear, âYouâre not strong enough to withstand the storm.â Today I whispered in the devilâs ear, âI am the Storm.â~
Once the portal had closed, I got to work opening a series of portals all over the continent, leaving trails everywhere except to where the others actually went.
Truth be told, I did know who was behind this. I just didnât want to admit that I was the one who taught him everything he knew.
Funny, that, isnât it? How people take what they want from you, then chuck it in your face when you donât give in to their demands for more.
~âOooooh, Storm! Come out, come out and plaaaaayyy!â~
His eerie voice rang through the house, making my bones shudder.
He shielded his original intentions from me, which is why I showed him so much, but then he couldnât hide it much longer. He couldnât contain the evil coursing through his veins.
Before long, it spilled outâaround about the time I refused him. Refused him both marriage and counsel. He wanted to be the most powerful.
He wanted the throne and would stop at nothing until he got it. The Blood Moon Pack had no princesses in line to the throne, only princes, so he had no chances of marrying in.
So he sets his sights on the next best pack: Blue Moon.
I dodged an energy surge that soared past me, blowing out the back wall in the process. Quickly I opened a portal to the forest outside and leapt through it.
I landed quickly and sprinted as fast as I could in the opposite direction, breathing heavily.
I heard it before it hit me. A supercharged blast landing just at my feet knocked me into the air and forced me twenty feet sideways.
I landed with a heavy thud at the feet of the man who scared me more than the devil himself.
~Keir.~
âWell, well, Storm. Looks like we meet again. Tell me, has hell indeed frozen over? I do believe that is what you told me would need to happen to come face-to-face again! Boys? Anyone? No?â
He looked around at his followers, each one looking dumber than the last as they grinned eerily in my direction like I was meat and they were due their dinner.
~Rogues.~
~Foul brutes.~
I stood up tall, sticking my chin out, hoping my quickened heart rate hadnât been detected.
âWhat do you want, Keir? I told you I would never help you to slaughter millions!â
I sounded more confident than I felt. Here I stood only five feet away from the evil monster that slaughtered my parents and left me an orphan.
He smirked. âIf you want your precious mate to survive to see the sunrise, you might want to reconsider your decision.â My heart sank.
~Do they know?~
~Are they at the castle?~
~Is this all he has, or is there more?~
I stood up tall, squaring my shoulders. âYou forget, Keir⦠I am the one who taught you everything you know. But let me ask you this: do you really think I taught you ~everything~ that I know?â
The smirk fell off his face, and a brief flash of panic dashed across it. I raised my hands into the air, ripping up the ground around him. I entwined him with vines, pulling them tight.
He struggled against their grip. I held them there with my right hand. With my left hand, I created a blaring circle of fire separating us from his rogue pack of wolves.
âYou know, usually when the student surpasses the master, itâs because theyâre on the same level. But clearly, you think so highly of yourself you decided that you didnât need to learn anymore.â
He wriggled in the grip of the vines, his magic fighting against my own.
I pulled them tighter using the anger of what he did to my parents, how he ripped my family away from me, and how now he threatened my new family, my newfound happiness.
I felt my eyes burn bright as I set the vines alight. His scream rang out through the forest. His pack of brutes grew restless, some trying to burst through the fire.
âYou think youâre stronger than me? The Great Keir?â he grunted, his magic forcing the flames away from his skin. I pushed back harder. He let another scream escape his lips.
âI donât think I am, Keir; I ~know~ I am. And let me tell you this: you ever threaten me or the royal bloodline again, and I will finish you myself. This is your final warning, Keir!â
One of his rogues burst through the flames, knocking me over. The momentary break in concentration freed Keir from my holds. He seized the opportunity to break free.
I scrambled to my feet, whipping up a portal. I fell through it just as Keir shot an energy surge at me.
âThis isnât over, Storm. ~I will end you~.â
The portal shutting cut him off. I landed with a thud in the kingâs study.
âStorm? Is everything okay? Youâre bleeding! Who was that shouting?â
I looked up at everyone standing over me. Axel reached down and helped me up. âWe donât have much time. Theyâve crossed the border lines. Theyâll be here soon.â
~God help us.~
~Keir will destroy us all.~
~And yet⦠I wish he was the worst to come.~